Abstract
The treatment of several solid and hematologic malignancies with immune checkpoint inhibitors (against programmed death receptor-1/ligand-1 [PD-1/PD-L1]) has dramatically changed the cancer treatment paradigm. However, no checkpoint inhibitors were previously approved for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a difficult-to-treat disease with a high unmet therapeutic need. Based on IMpassion130 clinical trial (NCT02425891), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently granted an accelerated approval for atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ®), a monoclonal antibody drug targeting PD-L1, plus chemotherapy (Abraxane; nab®-Paclitaxel) for the treatment of adults with PD-L1-positive, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic TNBC. The FDA has also approved the Ventana diagnostic antibody SP142 as a companion test for selecting TNBC patients for treatment with atezolizumab. In the present review, we briefly discuss the importance of this breakthrough as the first cancer immunotherapy regimen to be approved for the management of breast cancer.
Highlights
The treatment of several solid and hematologic malignancies with immune checkpoint inhibitors has dramatically changed the cancer treatment paradigm
Immune checkpoint inhibitors block the suppressor programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 axis contributing to the reactivation of cytotoxic T effector cells and enhancing the anticancer activity of the immune system (Figure 1) [5]
Due to the advances in molecular characterization of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), various novel therapeutic targets including poly ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1) inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immune checkpoints, anti-androgens, and epigenetic targets have come into focus [11]
Summary
The treatment of several solid and hematologic malignancies with immune checkpoint inhibitors (against programmed death receptor-1/ ligand-1 [PD-1/PD-L1]) has dramatically changed the cancer treatment paradigm. There are numerous ongoing clinical trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with other treatment modalities in breast cancer [41].
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